Mary Dailey and Anita Yates started working for Ohio University's College of Osteopathic Medicine on the same day 30 years ago, just in time to welcome the college's third class of students.

Since that day, they've seen the college flourish, with the number of incoming students swelling to 117, up nearly fivefold from the '70s.

"When I first started, I knew everyone in the college; now I often run into people I've never seen before,'' said Yates, an administrative associate in the Department of Specialty Medicine. Dailey, referring to how technology has changed her job over the past three decades, added: "I worked on a typewriter on a cart with wheels so that I could push it around the building.''

The ceremony, held for the first time in the Ping Recreation Center, honored bargaining unit and non-bargaining classified employees for reaching the 10-, 15-, 20-, 25- and 30-year plateau this calendar year.

After a brief introduction from Classified Senate Chair Marlene Swartz, Ohio University President Roderick J. McDavis thanked the employees, calling them the "heartbeat of the university."

"More often than not, you are the first people whom guests meet when they visit our campus and you form a perception for them of what our campus is really all about. That is very, very positive thing," McDavis said. "Your efforts are vital to our ability to function effectively and efficiently."

Based on their years of service, employees received gifts ranging from a fleece blanket to a mantel clock.

Dailey, now an administrative coordinator in the Office of Academic Affairs, said she enjoyed the reception, which has taken on a more casual atmosphere in recent years.

"This reception has a nice format because it allows us plenty of time to visit with people instead of sitting quietly through a long program," she said.